Love Life, Hate Kittens

Zombies are zombies are zombies. Are we sick of zombies yet? Have they been surpassed by werewolves and  vampires? Can we ever sexify a zombie?

Calling Robert Pattinson. We need you stat.

Riding the trend of ‘government’ created zombies or shall I say ‘viruses gone wild’, The Crazies’ plot is simple. Man and wife lives in small town. Small town gets infected by disease in water. Goes wild. Government knows about it and shuts down all communication. Man and woman fight to live until sunrise. /cue credits.

Same story, awesome execution.

The difference is that these zombies aren’t mindless monsters. They all react to the virus in a different way. Some walk onto a baseball field with a shotgun (creepy), some burn their kids and wife (creepier), and some sing while riding pink bicycles (creepiest). Each zombie seems to retain a bit of history, a sense of self. It’s like winning the lottery. If you were an asshole before, now you’re an even bigger asshole.

No one is reading wind patterns or talking to a tree. Yes The Happening, I’m looking at you. The characters act as if a normal person would act. In fact, above and beyond how the average person would act. I never seen anyone hustle so fast in a horror movie. The woman is not whiny or weak. (Yes Jennifer Carpenter, can you shut up for 2 seconds in Quarantine?) She’s pregnant but there’s nothing corny about it. No gratuitous scenes of her husband asking her about the status of the baby or her not being able to move properly. It’s real people doing real shit. And by real shit, I mean staying alive.

There’s unexpected jumps and scares. Keeps you on the edge of your seat in a good natured way. There’s no profound statement or twist. It’s entertaining. I like.